The occurrence of elements in the sea water and in the earth's crust in relation to the periodic system of elements

Abstract

(1) An arrangement of elements occurring in the sea water hareby given with regard to their decreasing occurrence with the increase of the atomic numbers. A statement has been made that, taken in general, the occurrence of elements in the sea water and in the earth’s crust bear similar features, i. e. that the existing conditions conform grossly to the rule of the occurrence decreasing with the increase of the atomic number.

(2) It has been recorded that the rule mentioned above and the rule Oddo-Harkins do not apply to a large number of elements in the sea water, as it was found to be the case with the earth’s crust also.

(3) This represents the first attempt to give an arrangement of elements by their increasing atomic numbers, but keep­ing within the limits of single groups of the periodic system of elements. This has been done for the sea water and for the earth’s crust alike.

(4) This helped to disclose the existence of regularities being characteristic for the single groups of elements of the pe­riodic system - the rule of the functional connection between the occurrence of elements and their atomic number, applicable to every group of the periodic system of ele­ments separately, or, abridged, the group rule. This again led to the elimination of numerous irregularities that appear when all the elements are taken together, in accor­dance with the old rule of occurrence.

(5) Owing to the scanty data available for the sea water, it has been found that at least ten groups of elements con­form to the group rule (groups taken after Werner’s rear­rangement of the periodic system of elements).

(6) With regard to the occurrence in the earth’s crust it has been found that almost all the groups conform to the group rule.

(7) Figures showing the curves of occurrence of elements by groups are disclosing a regular decrease with the increase of the atomic number, with the exception of the group III, whose curve is running almost horizontally, tending even to rise.

(8) It is characteristic for the curves of the groups that hydrogen may be taken as the starting point of almost every curve.

(9) The low occurrence of the first head members of the groups I, II, VII, and O, and the surplus oxygen in sea water are also characteristic. In the earth’s crust all the first head elements (of the second period of the system of elements) appear to be deficient, with the exception of oxygen, which occurs in superabundance.

(10) The phenomenon called the rule of deflection has been ascertained further for almost all the groups of the pe­riodic system, consisting in the deflection of the group curves of occurrence at the point where the elements of the fifth period are reached, and resulting in a slowing down, or even in a stop of the more or less rapid fall of the curve.

(11) A phenomenon of  d e c r e a s i n g  q u a n t i t i e s  o f   e l e m e n t s   b e l o n g i n g   t o   s e v e n t h  p e r i o d   o f   t h e   s y s t e m   o f            e l e m e n t s  (elements with atomic numbers from 86 upwards) has also been noticed. This phenomenon consists in the fact that the elements of this period occur in extraordinary small quantities, thus contrasting the above rule of deflection (see point 10).

(12) A regularity called  t h e  r u l e  o f  p r e d o m i n a n c e  o f  t h e           e l e m e n t s  b e l o n g i n g  t o  s u b g r o u  p s  »a« has been disclosed, consisting in the fact that the ele­ments of the subgroup »a« of the periodic system (as arranged by Antropoff) are more abundant than their partners belonging to the subgroup »b« of the same group and of the same period. The probability has been deduced therefrom that at one time the quantity of vanadium oc­curring in the sea water, was much larger compared with its amount at present.

(13) The ascertained regularities: the shortage of the head elements (point 9); the rule of deflection (point 10); the phenomenon of decreasing quantities of elements belong­ing to the seventh period (point 11); and the rule of predominance of elements of the subgroups »a« (point 12), are actually complementing the group rule. These rules apply likewise to the sea water and to the earth’s crust.

      The group rule, supplemented like this, is disclosing the functional connection between the occurrence of the elements and their atomic number, attaining this in some other, better, and more complete way than it was possible by applying the old rule concerning the decrease of occurrence, according to which all the elements, taken together, were simultaneously handled. Whilst the old rule had but an approximate and qualitative value, our group rule possesses, besides a qualitative, also a quantitative value, representing thus a regularity of a higher degree.

(14) Basing upon the above rules, the probability has been suggested that corrections are likely to be made as re­gards the quantities of some elements thus far determi­ned in the earth’s crust (Sn, Ge, Pb, Hf and Nb). It has also been found possible to anticipate the quantities of some elements occuring in the sea water, but as yet undetected there (Ge, Sb, Cd, Cr, and W).

(15) It has been pointed out, finally, that our way of reviewing the occurrence of elements by groups (replacing the old division into major and minor constituents), shows a re­gularity and, contributes to a systematization and a bet­ter understanding of the complex system of the basic mat­ter in the sea water, thus facilitating the oceanographic studies concerning the chemical composition of the sea water.